SINGAPORE, 3 October 2013 – Dr Robert Yap, Chairman and CEO of YCH Group, a leading regional provider of integrated end-to-end supply chain management solutions was awarded the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ for Logistics at the 5th World Chinese Economic Forum award ceremony held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia .

The award, first established in 2011, honours distinguished individuals who have made significant fundamental contributions to their communities and respective industries. Award winners demonstrate a lifetime commitment, in positively impacting the regional and global community through their dedication, selfless service and innovative leadership.

Dr Robert Yap (2nd from left) and other distinguished
WCEF Lifetime Achievement Awardees during the World Chinese Economic Forum 2013 Gala Dinner

"The World Chinese Economic Forum (WCEF) has conferred on Dr Robert Yap the Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Leadership in the Logistics Industry as he has been in the forefront of the Industry and plays a key role in shaping the future of the Logistics Industry in ASEAN. Dr Yap's foresight helps contribute to the growth of ASEAN Logistics and that helps bring about closer connectivity for ASEAN and its partners. The WCEF salutes Dr Yap for his many years of leadership in the Logistics Industry and in building up the YCH Group to be a key player in the sector,said Tan Sri DatoDr Michael Yeoh, Chairman of the WCEF.

With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Dr Robert Yap continues to lead YCH Group to innovate in the realm of supply chain through the use of best-in-class Supply Chain Management (SCM) solutions and technologies. A firm believer of teach a man to fishrather than give the man a fish, YCH, under the leadership of Dr Robert Yap, is committed to grooming future generations of supply chain talent. With a range of market immersion programs, on-the-job training opportunities as well as knowledge transfer of best-in-class practices to local last mile partners, YCH demonstrates its commitment to raising the professionalism of Asia's supply chain industry.

Dr Robert Yap said, "It is an honour to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for Logistics as it validates how far YCH Group has grown in its journey from a local transportation company to a regional supply chain management leader. While it is a humbling experience for me, it has also been heart-warming to know that YCH's commitment to deliver world-class operational excellence, customer service and continuous innovation is being recognised.He added, The future of YCH and the supply chain community can only grow with people who are passionate about supply chain and want to make a difference to people's lives. I hope this award inspires our supply chain talent to carry on with this legacy of continuous learning and innovation.

The WCEF Lifetime Achievement Awards also recognise recipientsefforts and commitment to enhancing business, trade or community relations with China. YCH is one of the pioneer Singapore firms to enter the Chinese market, in Shanghai, in the mid 1990s. It has since built a comprehensive logistics network in the country with presence in gateway cities across the Eastern, Western, Northern and Southern zones of China. Some of its key hubs and state-of-the-art DistriParks are located in key nodes such as Shanghai, Beijing, Chendgu, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Macau and Hong Kong, where it services MNC customers such as Dell, Samsung, Lenovo, Compal and Carrefour. With a distinct Asia-focused strategy, YCH takes pride in being able to deliver the intrinsic value of true network and connectivity to MNC customers with its firmly-established Pan-China network as well as its proprietary City Supply Chain (CSC™) solution that is specially designed for Chinese cities to improve food and product safety, quality and security; as well as reduce air pollution, traffic congestion, and overall logistics costs by optimising the citiesdistribution networks.

Under Dr Robert Yap's progressive leadership, YCH will continue to benefit from his vision and expertise to achieve supply chain excellence through breaking new grounds in SCM innovation and creating a strong Singaporean brand across China and Asia.

About the World Chinese Economic Forum (WCEF) and the Lifetime Achievement Awards

The World Chinese Economic Forum (WCEF) gathers government, business and thought leaders on an annual basis to discuss the rise of China and China’s economic linkages with its neighbours in South-East Asia, India, Australia and the Middle East. It was first established in 2009 when China emerged as the world’s second-largest economic power driving various regions and continents of the world. This is the 5th time the forum is being organized, and it has evolved into being the leading International Forum on China outside of China, and aims to promote closer linkages between China and ASEAN.

Consolidating cultural, economic and social values from the East and the West, the WCEF offers a number of perspectives of the principal forces that will further integrate the Chinese Diaspora, and beyond. It is the ultimate platform to forge partnerships and alliances, and the key platform for in-depth strategic discussions that will shape the future of relations with China and Asia, particularly on the understanding of the rising China economy and its implications on the global and regional economy.

As part of the WCEF, the ‘Lifetime Achievement Awards’ segment was instituted in 2011 to honour individuals who have made significant contributions in their respective field of work in the region, as well as to the betterment of relations between their countries and China. Award recipients must be eminent personalities who have distinguished themselves in their industry or profession through demonstrating a lifetime commitment to making a difference and providing outstanding contributions over a sustained period of years to the regional and global community.

The Organisers of the WCEF that is conferring the Lifetime Achievement Awards are the China Council for Promotion of International Trade, The Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute and the Ministry of International Trade and Industry Malaysia.

About YCH Group

Founded in 1955, YCH Group is the leading integrated end-to-end supply chain management and logistics partner to some of the world's largest companies, including Dell, Motorola, Samsung, LG, Exxon Mobil, Unilever, LVMH and Royal FrieslandCampina. YCH Group's suite of innovative award-winning end-to-end supply chain management solutions - Intribution™, Intrabution™, Retrogistics™ - employ cutting edge web-technologies that are best-in-class across industry clusters from consumer and electronics to chemical and healthcare, to deliver powerful competitive advantages for customers. The Singapore-based company currently operates throughout Asia-Pacific, including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Hong Kong, Australia, China, India, Vietnam and Korea.

A strong proponent of innovation, YCH is recognized for its 7PL™ approach in seamlessly integrating supply chain strategy with execution to attain success in the SCM industry.

In December 2012, YCH Group announced the groundbreaking of Supply Chain City™ - a state-of-the-art supply chain nerve centre in Jurong that will feature a world-pioneering Fusionaris™ (Fusion of ASRS & Ramp-up Integrated Solution) with modern office amenities to cater to a knowledge ecosystem of supply chain talents. Touted as a mini Silicon Valley for logistics, Supply Chain City™ seeks to inspire the future of supply chain in Asia.